1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recorder, and more particularly to a recorder which uses a record paper as a record medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional recorder, a feed unit for a record paper is positioned near recording means. However, since the feed unit is fixed relative to the recording means in the prior art recorder, it is difficult for an operator to exchange the record paper, repair troubles in the feed unit such as paper jam and repair troubles in the recording means. It is also difficult for a service man to maintain the recorder.
The recorder of this type has a feed unit for feeding the record paper to the recording means and feeding the record paper away from the recording means. The feed unit includes a paper feed roller driven by a motor and a press roller arranged to face the paper feed roller to press the record paper to the paper feed roller. When the record paper is to be loaded to the recorder, the operator first positions a leading edge of the record paper between the paper feed roller and the press roller and holds it therebetween in preparation for recording. In the record mode, the record paper is held between the paper feed roller and the press roller and is fed by rotating the paper feed roller as a record is made by the recording means.
One of the prior art recorders of this type has a press roller which is pressed to the paper feed roller by a spring. When the record paper is to be loaded, the spring is flexed to move the press roller slightly away from the feed roller so that the leading edge of the record paper may be inserted. In another prior art recorder, when the record paper is to be loaded, the connection between the feed roller and the drive unit is disconnected and the feed roller is manually rotated so that the record paper is held in position.
However, the work space in the recorder which is provided for the operator when the record paper is to be loaded is limited. It is therefore difficult to load the record paper in the first prior art recorder in which the space between the press roller and the feed roller is small. It is likewise difficult to load the record paper in the second prior art recorder in which no space is provided between the press roller and the feed roller.
In other prior art recorders of this type, a continuous form such as a fan-folded paper or a rolled paper loaded below the record position of the recording means is continuously fed to the record position in the record mode. The record paper is held between the feed roller and the press roller, and as the feed roller rotates, the record paper loaded below the record position is continuously pulled up and the record is made by the recording means.
The press roller is not designed to have a uniform diameter over its entire width along the axis, rather it is designed to have a larger diameter portion, for example, at a center area along the axis, so that the record paper is held by that portion. If the press roller is designed to hold the record paper over the entire width, the pressing force is not uniform because of tolerance in the manufacture of the pressing roller and mounting errors, wherein the record paper may be skewed or snaked.
In a prior art recorder, the record paper loaded at the bottom of the recorder is pulled up by the feed roller and the press roller which has a small area to press the record paper to the feed roller. Since the weight of the record paper extending to the load position has to be supported by the small area, swing in the feed of the record paper, for example, skewing or snaking of the record paper due to unsmooth feeding of the record paper from the loaded position, is not prevented, and recording is distorted or the paper is jammed.
In a recorder having a stacker for stacking recorded papers, the stacker has one side thereof open so that the operator can take out the recorded papers. An upwardly convexed projection is formed on the bottom of the stacker to remove the curling of the recorded papers so that the recorded papers are stacked flatly.
However, since the projection extends over the entire width of the record paper at the lengthwise center of the bottom of the stacker, the recorded papers become unstable as a number of recorded papers are stacked and the stacked papers are easily dropped from the open side by shock.
In a non-impact type recorder which uses a continuous form having tie areas and cut areas alternately widthwise such as perforated rolled paper or fan-folded paper, feed rollers are provided upstream and downstream of the record paper feed path so that a flat record plane is formed between the feed rollers.
However, the perforation area of the perforated record paper may be stretched by a tension applied to the record paper during the feed of the paper and the record sheet may be crumpled. If it is crumpled, the record is distorted and, in an ink jet recorder which jets ink from nozzles to the record plane to make a record, the record paper contacts the nozzles, which causes clogging of the nozzles.